Praying to fulfill God’s will
On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting... At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.” Acts 2:1-2,5-6 Prayer is not about convincing God to change His mind but it is to align our life with God’s will. This is what the Lord Jesus Christ taught His disciples when He provided a pattern in prayer. “May your Kingdom come. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Once our life is aligned to His will, He will use it to demonstrate His power. So when a believer prays, it is an expression of faith that whatever answers God will provide, there will be a willingness to submit. From our text, the Lord Jesus Christ before He ascended to heaven commanded His disciples to wait in Jerusalem. They spend their time waiting by praying. Their prayers did not cause the coming of the Holy Spirit to come upon them during the Pentecost. Instead, their prayer prepared them to join God in what He will do through their lives as they become witnesses and tell others about the mighty work of God. Their commitment to God’s work in expanding His kingdom was ushered in by the coming of the Holy Spirit filling their lives with His power and presence. They not only prepared themselves by praying but they also devoted themselves to the study of God’s word (see Acts 1:15-26). They did this because they want to seek God’s guidance as they live their lives following Him. What the disciples did provided an example for us. They prayed and studied the Scriptures so they could obey Him and avoid deviating from His will. So when we pray, we are not just asking Him to conform to our personal desires but for us to submit to His will. This will help us understand if at times God seemed to be not responding to what we are praying for. It might be that He wants us to adjust our prayers so they could conform and accomplish His will. He does not want just to rubber stamp His approval to every prayer we offer to Him. Let us continue to study His word so we could focus more on what He is doing and not miss out on taking part in His mighty act of expanding His kingdom. He is concerned that you grow in faith and that your prayers will be guided by His will found in His word.
Blessings,
Noel De Guzman
www.my-wbc.com
Sermon on YouTube channel: WestsideBCLA
